The Academy
by gatechic
Summary: Pre-series. Wyatt Cain, the son of a cattle rancher, joins the Police Academy in Central City at the age of eighteen. This will eventually be Wyatt/Adora.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This originally was posted on LJ. It's still a WIP. If you want to see who the OCs are, you can view them at the link listed in my profile. If you don't like OCs then avoid my stories. I love them and I write them A LOT!

Chapter 1

Travis Cain paced on his porch while some men from neighboring ranches looked on. Even his son, Garrett, began to worry. His father never paced nervously; at least not this bad. On a few occasions - like when a calf was being born and it was breach - he was in the stable with the cow, taking an active part. But this; he had to wait outside while his wife, Isabelle, gave birth to their second child. Young Garrett was happy that he was going to be a big brother, but to what? Was he going to be a big brother to a girl or to a boy? He hoped it was the latter.

Travis stopped when Isabelle's moans and groans ceased; it was dreadfully quiet inside his home. Fear gripped the elder Cain and his hand immediately went for the door knob. Whether it was appropriate or not, he was going in to see what had happened. As he turned the knob, he heard it: faint at first, but then it grew in volume. A baby crying. The fear the elder Cain felt started to give way to joy. The door opened, nearly causing him to come crashing onto the floor of his own home.

The midwife looked on, in shock, at first, but that quickly dissipated. "Travis, Isabelle and the baby are doing just fine." She put her hands on his shoulders. "You have a son," she announced. Garrett nearly jumped for joy. The other men patted his back, congratulating the stunned man. He was a father, again, and he had another son. Overjoyed, he rushed into the house to see his wife, holding their new born-son.

"What ya gonna call 'im, Travis?" asked Bryce, a neighbor who lived closest to the Cains. He grew crops and he and Travis did a lot of trading, trying to help each other's family.

"Wyatt Joseph Cain," Travis responded as Isabelle handed him his son.

Garrett looked on. "I like that name."

Travis looked at his older son, "You gonna help us with him, right?"

"Yep, I'm gonna teach him everything I know."

"Oh my Ozma, we're in trouble," Bryce added with a smirk.

The following day as was the tradition in the O.Z., ranchers and farmers from nearby gathered at the Cain ranch to celebrate the newest addition to the Cain Clan. Travis slaughtered a bull and prepared it for eating; other farmers brought along the best of their crops for the great feast. After the dinner, a big bonfire was lit and the celebration continued on all evening. There was dancing, drinking, eating and more dancing, until the first sun rose in the horizon.

Travis held his son and gazed into his face. That's when he saw it. No actually more like felt it. His son, Wyatt, was destined for something great. Not that cattle ranching wasn't great - it was important - but this boy he held in his arms was going to play an important part in something. He just didn't know what it was and that was okay. It was something meant for Wyatt, and one day, he'd find himself on that path.

Six annuals passed and Wyatt was growing up fast. He was a quick learner and, even at his young age, was showing a sixth sense that not even Garrett had when the Cain men were on their hunting trips. Garrett would test Wyatt on the animal tracks they found in the woods and warned his younger brother which tracks not to follow.

At nine annuals, Wyatt went with his father to Central City. To a young boy who spent nearly all of his time on a ranch, seeing a city like this was special and awe inspiring. On one such trip, he met a police officer. Wyatt was immediately drawn to the shiny badge. His father, at one time, said that the police officers were called 'Tin Men', because of the badges they wore were shiny, like tin. Wyatt reached his hand to try and touch it, and the policeman bent down to let the young boy see the badge.

"Want to be a policeman one day, young man?"

Wyatt seemed to be completely hypnotized by the shiny star.

"Wyatt, answer the man," his father said sternly.

"Yes, yes I do."

Travis didn't really hear what the Tin Man was telling his son after he heard the answer. His memory brought up that day, long ago, when he held his son in his arms; the feeling about his son and his destiny. A 'Tin Man'? If his son was to be a Tin Man then there must be a reason. His son was still young and could easily change his mind, but he would support Wyatt in whatever he chose to do, even if it meant sending him to the Academy.

"Mom...Dad!"

Travis and Isabelle were tending to the horses when they heard the yell. They shot each other quick glances. It was Wyatt and he was back from Central City. "He sounds happy," Isabelle stated with a hint of a smile.

"Maybe…" Travis added with a hopeful tone.

"Mom…Dad!" Wyatt yelled again as he stopped his horse near the stable. He nearly jumped off, which caused his mother to give him a sharp look, but he was too excited to care. He ran toward them with the paper held in the air. "I did it!"

"You passed?" Travis asked.

"Yeah, well, the background and job preview. Now I can take the written test." His parents hugged him.

"Well done, son."

"I knew you could do it," his mother added. "We should celebrate. How 'bout an apple pie for dessert tonight?"

"Mom, this is just the first step. I still have a long way to go," Wyatt retorted with a huff.

"Well, how many applicants even got that far?"

"Not many."

"Okay then, we should celebrate that achievement."

Travis and Wyatt watched her as she headed for the house, both shaking their heads. "I wish she wouldn't do that. I still have to pass the written and physical tests to even be considered for the Academy. Then there's the Academy, itself. Not everyone who gets to go even finishes."

Travis put his arm over his son's shoulder. "Well, you know your mother; she likes to celebrate anything. She's just proud of you, Wyatt; just like I am."

"Thanks, Dad."

Garrett came into view. "The Academy must be desperate if they take runts like you." While Garrett and Wyatt were brothers, they had physical differences between them. Garrett took after his father while Wyatt took after his mother. Garrett's hair was curly, dark-brown and his eyes were blue. He stood a few inches shorter than Wyatt. Wyatt on the other hand, had blond hair and the lightest blue eyes anyone has ever seen.

"Be quiet," Wyatt retorted and then ran after his older brother.

"Boys, I don't want any broken bones!" Travis called out watching his two sons. Travis always knew when it was time to step between them before they went too far. His two sons got along great but as with any siblings - especially boys - their playing could turn into a bloody nose or a busted lip. His boys liked to test each other's limits and, most times, those tests turned physical.

Watching them, he often thought that they were preparing each other for whatever life had in store for them. At times, he would get a terrible feeling that would make him shudder; other times he would be near tears. He was no Viewer, but something bad was coming; he could feel it in his bones.

Wyatt did well on the written portion of the qualifying exams, much to the chagrin of some of the applicants. When Wyatt had entered the examination room, he looked out of place; out of time in fact. The other applicants shot cold stares at him with crinkled up noses. By the way he was dressed, they knew he was from the country and that meant that he was nothing but a dumb countrysider. Countrysiders were what the City people called the Ozians living out in the country.

"He'll probably get in just because he's a countrysider," one applicant mused condescendingly.

"Yeah, they'll probably bend the curve just to give him a chance," another retorted.

Wyatt ignored them and took a seat in the back. Interestingly enough, handling situations like this was on the essay portion. He was honest and concise in his answer.

The instructor had to admit that even he was surprised that Wyatt did so well. Not only in handling the situation with such calmness, but with integrity. '_This one is going to prove a lot of people wrong_,' he thought, smiling as he scanned over Wyatt's paper.

Scoring high on the written test meant that Wyatt was scheduled to take the physical exam in a few weeks. He was pleased to see that he even outscored some of the applicants that ridiculed him based on his appearance. He knew that they would not want to be shown up again by a countrysider. The next test would not be easy, whether he was a countrysider or not.

The physical test was as grueling as he thought it would be. Applicants passed or failed and Wyatt was determined that he would not fail. He was tested on agility, upper body strength and endurance.

"The countrysider should do well on this; there isn't a lot of thinking involved. Not to mention having to chase all those cows," an applicant taunted Wyatt, trying to get him to respond, but he remained quiet. There was a time and a place and this was not the time, at least not yet.

"Look, just be quiet," another applicant spoke up.

"And who are you, his mother?"

"That's funny, very clever," the stranger said in a mocking tone.

Wyatt decided it was time, after all. "How about we settle this?" Wyatt's eyes narrowed sharply. The other man was a little shorter than Wyatt, but nearly the same build. He knew that that didn't mean much when it came to fighting ability. To avoid getting kicked out of the Academy before he even set foot in the place, he changed tactics.

"What do you have in mind?"

"We see who the best is during the test. Who ever scores the lowest, buys the other a cold cup of grog."

"Okay, a cold cup of grog it is." Ryan turned on his heels and sauntered off.

Wyatt turned to the applicant who had helped him out. "Much obliged for the help, but you didn't have to stick your neck out for me like that." He turned to motion toward Ryan. "I can handle those with small brains."

"I'm sure you can, but I didn't want you to think that all City dwellers were like that. I'm James Ardon, by the way, but you can call me Jimmy if you want. It's less formal that way." He put his hand out.

Wyatt took it and the two men shook hands. "Wyatt Cain."

Later that evening, Wyatt was enjoying his grog, which Ryan had to pay for. Even James had joined him for the special occasion. They talked about their lives and started to form a bond.

After passing the physical, Wyatt returned home. The only part he was waiting on now was the final results of his background check, which could take months. He was very honest in his final interview about his past. Now, it was time for family and his teachers to endure questions about him. He didn't know that being a policeman would involve his past, but it did make sense. Central City policemen were known to be the most loyal and honest men in all the O.Z. Only those with the right character earned the right to the wear the badge.

The first weekend at home, his father and brother headed out on a hunting trip to gather food for the week. They could easily get other meat from the farmers nearby, but Travis enjoyed these trips with his sons, especially now that it seemed one of them was going to be leaving.

Wyatt told them about his tests, Ryan and the new friend he made. Travis was proud of him and the way he handled Ryan, but Garrett said he would have just hauled off and punched him. Wyatt snorted and said that the look on Ryan's face when he found out that he had scored lower was as if he had been punched in the gut. That was satisfaction enough for Wyatt.

For the next couple of months, Wyatt helped around the ranch: fixing fences, digging new post holes, taking some of the herd to market - all the things that cattle ranchers did in the O.Z.

Isabelle came out onto the porch, holding a tray of cold drinks for her boys. She set them on the table and moved to the wooden railing that Wyatt had fixed earlier; a couple of boards were loose and just needed to be nailed down. Resting her hands on the top, she observed them. She was proud of them, especially her sons. They had grown up to be fine, young men and would make any woman in the O.Z. feel like a princess. Garrett had announced that he would have that opportunity soon; he had asked the girl he grew up with to marry him. It didn't surprise her at all that he had asked her. Even her father had said to him that it was about time.

She took out the paper from the pocket of her apron and stared at it. She didn't need to open it; she could visibly see the word i'Congratulations'/i on the note. Wyatt had passed and would be leaving soon for the Academy in Central City. She watched him, wondering how his life would be different living in the City. But, maybe she was worried more about him being a Tin Man. It was a dangerous job, but one she knew she couldn't keep him from doing. But that was Wyatt, always willing to be the protector, to put others ahead of himself. Yes, he would make a fine police officer.

On a cool winter evening, four days later, the Cains held a celebration. Their youngest son was leaving in two days for the Central City Police Academy. Once again, their neighbors joined them.

After the festivity, the Cains lay in bed. Isabelle regarded her husband: "They're leaving us, Travis."

"Hmmm," he responded, not really wanting to face up to the fact that his boys were grown and heading off to live their own lives. Garrett was getting married at the end of year and Wyatt was leaving for the City. "That's what children do," he responded solemnly, taking his wife's hand into his.

The Academy was located at the northwest end of Central City. It consisted of four buildings: one - the smallest of the four - was the Administration building which was located in the center. That is where Wyatt had to go first, to report. There, he would get his uniforms, books, binders, dorm assignment and class schedule. From there he'd report to the main building, the Nick Chopper Hall, named after the most famous policeman in the O.Z; that is where the classes would be held. It was situated behind the Administration building and was the largest of all. Off to the left of Chopper Hall was the dorm building. To the right of Chopper Hall, was the gymnasium. Behind Chopper Hall, was the firing range, exercise field with an obstacle course, driving course and a building to practice searches and other police tactics.

Wyatt had never seen anything like it; the tests he took were done at different locations. To say it wasn't intimidating to him was an understatement. He took in a deep breath, looked at his surroundings, and let it out slowly. '_I can do this_,' he thought to himself as he mustered up his courage. He glanced at his paper and, before he knew it, his feet were moving and he was off to the Administration Building.

Once inside, a man in a dark blue uniform - with a medal and ribbons on the left side of his shirt with three stripes on the sides of both sleeves - took Wyatt's paper. He studied it then turned his hardened gaze to Wyatt. Once again, Wyatt stuck out like a sore thumb in his countrysider clothing. The man stood a good four inches taller and was nearly twice the size but it didn't faze Wyatt at all. He stood, making sure to maintain eye contact. The big sergeant let out a low growl, told Wyatt to leave his bag and then motioned in the direction that he needed to go.

Wyatt took back his paper and regarded the sergeant with one last look and headed off. "Who was that?" another sergeant asked.

"Wyatt Cain, a countrysider by the looks of him." Sergeant Davis turned to his friend, Sergeant Kersen.

"He scored high though, one of the top." He checked his clip board.

"That was just the entrance test. Let's see how he handles eight months."

"He'll probably end up at the top of this class."

"If he is, that won't say much for the class," Davis retorted.

Sergeant Kersen chuckled, "You wouldn't happen to be teaching the Cultural Differences class this time would you?"

"Pfft, not a chance." Sergeant Davis directed another cadet in the right direction.

Wyatt felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around quickly and saw James. He smiled and shook his hand, "Good to see you again, James."

"I saw how you stared down that big sergeant, not sure if that was brave of you or not."

"Well, I'll find out soon, won't I?"

"You're a country boy; you know that staring another male down means you're challenging him?"

"Yeah, well, maybe I was. But I wasn't going to be submissive either. I'll follow orders; do what I'm told here, but I won't be beaten down."

James patted him on his back. "You have one hell of an attitude, countrysider. C'mon, let's go sit down. It looks like not everyone is here yet, but your friend Ryan is."

Wyatt rolled his eyes. "I'm sure he wants to even up the score."

They found two seats toward the center of the room. The tables were set up with an aisle down the center: two men to a table, three tables on either side, in six rows. In all, there would be twenty-six men in this class. The walls were painted a light green with a large chalk-board in the front of the class; the words '56th Academy Class' scrawled across it. The men that were there were all conversing nervously, but Wyatt pushed his fear down. After a few moments, four more men had wandered into the room and found seats. Then the door closed behind the big sergeant, who caught sight of Wyatt and slightly smiled.

"Cadets!" he yelled out. "Attention!"

Like a bunch of frogs - on a lily pad that are about to get eaten - they all jumped to their feet. Wyatt showed no emotion; he was not about to let this man intimidate him. The sergeant looked around. "I would like to introduce you to the Academy Commander Chief Steven Elliot."

Chief Elliot was about Wyatt's height and weight. His dark hair had bits of grey in it and his uniform adorned with many medals - one looked like it was from the Queen herself. "Have a seat, gentlemen." He waited for all the new recruits to be seated before continuing. "I would like to welcome you to the Academy. All of you make up the 56th Academy class. During these eight months, you will be trained in all aspects of law enforcement. Before we continue, you will need to go through these doors, to my left where you will receive your clothing and then listen to the instructions given by Sergeant Davis."

The cadets were ushered into a large room, with tables lined up one side of the room, covered in clothing and boots. Next to the tables were two clothing racks one with dark blue pants and light blue shirts on the other. And, like the previous room, the walls were painted the same color green.

"Cadets, listen up. You will need to strip down to your undergarments. You will then be measured for your uniforms. Once you receive your uniform, you will put it on and move through the doors on your left," Sergeant Davis commanded.

It took some time, but all the men were measured and fitted in their cadet Academy uniforms. The patch on the sleeves bore the circular police badge, with the words Central City Academy within the circle and the policeman star in the center of the circle. They were also given their physical training clothes and a duffle bag to put their street clothes in. Once they were all gathered in the next room, they were all told to stand at attention and inspected. Here, they were told how to wear their uniform and when. After the uniform orientation was over, they were ushered into the next room. There, they would spend the rest of the day, finishing the orientation.

The first thing Wyatt noticed were the books sitting on the tables. He sat down and began reading the titles of the various books. Some were thicker than others and he wondered how they were going to fit all this into eight months, along with all the other training. He knew he would have weekends off and now he knew why: he's going to be doing a lot of studying.

The Academy Commander began to introduce the other officers. The last one introduced was a small man, but had the look and experience of someone you didn't want to cross paths with. His name was Lieutenant Kevin Holloway. He handed out the rules and regulations and began to go over each one and with great detail. He also included the consequences of breaking the rules, from having a deduction in over all grade to being expelled. It was becoming obvious that you did not want to be sent to his office.

Wyatt's head began to spin with all the information that was being thrown at him. There was a lot to take in in one day and, at times, a bit over-whelming. If he didn't know any better, he thought his head would explode. He could see it now: '_We're sorry Mr. and Mrs. Cain but your son died during orientation – his head exploded from an overload of information_.' He took notes as fast as he could and would have to rely on his memory for the rest. That would be his first test during the academy: how well would his memory hold up?

When their orientation was over, they were given their class schedule and then the dorm assignments. Wyatt was relieved when he was paired with James. They headed to their rooms with their gear to settle in for the night. They were warned to get a good night's sleep, because starting with the rising of the first sun, they would start their physical training.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wyatt decided to take the bed on the left-hand side of the room - a window separated the two beds. On each side of the room, there was a storage shelf, with a space to hang clothes, a desk and a lamp. At the foot of the bed, there was a brown trunk for additional storage. The walls were the same light-green color as all the other rooms Wyatt has seen. '_What is it with Central City and the color green?_' he wondered to himself.

He placed his books on the shelf, along with his physical training clothes; the bag that he came in with was already in the room, along with James. "Looks like they had the dorm assignments set up already."

"Yeah, knowing that we had all this other stuff to carry, they gave us a hand," Jimmy commented, placing his things down.

"And probably the last time they'll give us a hand," Wyatt retorted.

James snorted. Wyatt began to unpack his personal items and placed them on one of the shelves and he hung his duster and hat on the hooks inside the large vertical space next to the shelves. They talked while unpacking.

The night Ryan had to pay for a cup of grog for Wyatt, he found out that Jimmy was from another city from the Southwestern Gillikin Country of the O.Z. Like Wyatt, he was blonde, had blue eyes and was from a city called Shiz.

"What made you leave Shiz? I hear there are great universities there. You could have had your pick," Wyatt commented.

"Why did you leave?"

Wyatt raised his brows. "Point made."

"It's all about change; seizing opportunities…" Jimmy paused, trying to read Wyatt's expression. "See, Wyatt, you never know who you're going to meet out there."

"Soooo… you want to become a policeman to meet certain people who might give you an opportunity to do something better?"

Jimmy tapped his finger near his temple. "Now you're getting it."

"So, it has nothing to do with helping people?"

"Oh yeah, of course, there's that." He huffed then moved closer to Wyatt, placing his hands on Wyatt's shoulders. "But at the same time, there's nothing wrong with helping yourself."

"And you'll take the oath to put others before you?" Wyatt's brows furrowed.

"Yeah, sure." Jimmy patted Wyatt's shoulders. "C'mon, Wyatt, loosen up. You've been in the country far too long. Every job has the opportunity to lead to something else; you just gotta know it when you see it."

"Maybe," he added, watching Jimmy pull away and finish sorting through his things. Wyatt felt somewhat uneasy about his friend. '_People from the city sure do have a different way of thinking_,' he thought and then finished with his own unpacking.

~*~

After he was settled in, Wyatt decided to go through the books and the workbooks.

The first one was '_Understanding Ozian Law_.' He got through the first five pages and put it down; his mind had had its fill and here he was, trying to stuff it with more information. Jimmy laughed: "Too much for one day, eh, countrysider?"

Wyatt shot him a glare and folded his arms in front of him. "Pfft, I have a feeling this is going to be the longest eight months of my life - countrysider or not. This isn't going to be easy."

"Well then, we'll just have to stick together, won't we?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah," Wyatt responded. "I think I'm going to take a shower and get relaxed." Gathering up his things, Wyatt headed out the door.

"Remember, lights out in an hour," Jimmy called out after him.

Wyatt poked his head around the door frame. "It doesn't take me an hour to take a shower. (I'm a… was a cattle rancher, not a pig farmer.")

James laughed. "Thank Ozma for that."

~*~

Being raised on a ranch or a farm meant that sleeping in was not an option. So it was no surprise that Wyatt was up before the first sun rose. He was dressed and had his bed made before James even opened an eye. He sat in his chair mentally trying to get himself ready for the day.

Wyatt heard a growl from the other bed. "Dear Ozma, I'll have to get used to this." He peered over at his room mate and found him already dressed. "Tell me I'm dreaming."

"Nope."

"I would get stuck with someone who's up at the crack of dawn." He covered his head with his pillow.

Wyatt chuckled. "C'mon, it's not that bad, you'll get to use to it." He watched as Jimmy reluctantly pulled himself out of bed with a few unenthusiastic grunts.

"Well, maybe for you countrysider, but I'm a City boy, we party late and sleep in."

"Maybe you need to rethink that for the next eight months."

"Eight months? It didn't seem that long yesterday." Jimmy was able to lift himself off his bed and headed for the dorm bathroom. Wyatt turned the light on knowing that now it was safe.

_You ready for this, Wyatt?_ His inner voice asked him. "I have no choice now, I won't back out." He answered. _Good, just remember that, you're not a quitter. The Cain men don't back down from a challenge. Just give it all you got and you can make it._ He let out a long sigh and pursed his lips together. "I can do this." He said out loud. The alarm sounded in the dorm signaling it was time for the cadets to line up outside. He got up and started for the door when he was pushed over backwards by Jimmy rushing into the room; both landed with heavy grunts.

Wyatt looked into Jimmy's wide, shocked eyes. "You best get off me - now." The last word was emphasized harshly.

Jimmy rolled off of him. "I'm sorry. By the stars, you're a cranky one in the morning."

Wyatt reached his full height and straightened his clothes out. "Look, how 'bout tomorrow I wake you up so you don't go rushin' round all crazy like." Wyatt put his hand out to help Jimmy up.

Jimmy looked at it for a moment and then decided to take the offering of help. "Okay, sounds good to me."

"Go on; get ready - before they make us run a few extra spans."

"I'll be there before you can say '_She shall wear silver slippers_'."

~*~

The sergeants announced to Lt. Holloway that the cadets were ready and accounted for. He gave a nod. "Very well, take them inside, Sergeant Davis."

Sergeant Davis gave the command and the cadets marched into Chopper Hall. Before entering, Wyatt glanced at the three story building; rows of windows marked each floor and two sets of double glass doors lead into the building. Above the doors in big bold silver letters; '_Nick Chopper Hall_' and on either side were two large circular tin badges that bore the words; '_Central City Police Academy_'.

A large blue banner hung above the entrances on both sides of the building to remind the cadets why they're there. The words; '_Prudence_', '_Justice_', '_Service_', '_Integrity_', '_Loyalty_' and '_Courage_' were written in brazen silver lettering on the banner. They had learned during the orientation that the circle of the badge represented 'Prudence'. This virtue was the core value and connected all the other virtues together. The star represented the policeman himself and the five points represented; justice, service, integrity, loyalty and courage. Without prudence, an officer of Ozian law could not make the sound and fair decisions he would be faced with on a daily basis.

On the walls of the first floor were plaques of alumni showcasing their accomplishments while at the Academy and on the job. The Academy always made it a point to take pride in the accomplishments of its graduates. On the opposite wall of the cafeteria, there was a memorial - honoring those that had given their lives in the line of duty. It was a sobering sight and one that reminded the cadets just how dangerous a policeman's job was.

~*~

After breakfast, the twenty six cadets were lined up and ready to go for their first run. They were informed to remain in formation throughout the run. A cadet was chosen to hold a long wooden pole with a small Academy flag at the top while they ran. It was simple; a tin badge on a blue background with the words '_Central City Police Academy_' surrounding the image of the badge. A few cadence songs were taught to keep their spirits up and help their breathing as they ran.

Wyatt was lined up on the outside and towards the front. Next to him was Ryan. They swapped glares and stern looks. Ryan was definitely on the prowl for revenge. Wyatt didn't care really; he was more concerned about his own performance and not over doing it physically because of one man's bruised ego. At the command of Sergeant Davis, they headed off on their first run. Wyatt's first official day at the Academy had begun.

~*~

The run was a lot harder then the cadets imagined, but they were assured that it would get better in time. Once they made it back to the starting point, they were all gasping for air - even Wyatt. The Sergeant glared at the men who could barely stand up straight. "By the time you leave this academy, that run will seem like a nice little jog down the street. Remember, as policemen, you will be called to chase down criminals. I do not want a graduate of this Academy to let someone get a way because you were not in shape. Go get some water and be back here in twenty minutes. We have work to do gentlemen and lots of it. I've got eight months to whip you into shape and in the name of Ozma I will."

The cadets at fist started to walk, but the sergeant immediately had them running to get water. After the twenty minutes were up, they were lined up and ready for the next part of their physical training. For the rest of the morning they did sit-ups, push-ups and weight lifting inside the gym.

Once the physical training was completed they headed off to the showers. Wyatt took the towel handed to him and started for the rear of the showers. There was no privacy for the men. The shower room was wide open with pipes going from the floor to the ceiling. There were two shower heads on the pipes with soap dishes and a shelf for personal items.

"Hey, countrysider, this is called a '_showerhead_'. You turn it on and hot water comes out," Ryan said in a mocking tone. The cadets around him started to laugh. He continued his verbal assault on Wyatt. "Bet this is a novelty for you, like electricity and toilets. Oh and this…" he held up a bar of soap, "…is soap. You use it to wash the cow smell off your body."

Sergeant Kersen stopped himself from yelling at Cadet Zerona; he wanted to see what Cadet Cain would do before he put an end to this situation. This was one of the things he had to watch out for; how cadets handled situations like this in the Academy would give him an idea of how they may act as an officer of the law.

Wyatt's first thought was to shoot him, but he had no gun and he really didn't want to be kicked out on his first day – not to mention a trip to jail. His second thought was to punch Ryan in the mouth and knock his teeth out, but again that would mean a boot out of the Academy and jail time for assault; plus dental bills. The only choice was a verbal assault because ignoring it was not what a Cain would do.

"I see that what comes out of your ass comes out of your mouth." Wyatt answered back, washing himself with soap. He inwardly congratulated himself for not running across the room to knock the guy out. The shower room erupted in laughter and jeers.

"That's enough, both of you!" Sergeant Kersen yelled out, stopping Ryan from retaliating. "Fifteen more minutes!" he said before leaving the room, but stayed within ear shot of the cadets. Ryan was going to be trouble, but Cain seemed to handle himself better than he thought; which was a good sign.

The rest of the shower time was relatively quiet; which was pleasing to Kersen. He watched as the cadets left and headed for their dorms to get dressed. He hoped that the rest day was quiet. He had decided that he won't talk to the Chief about Cadet Zerona - at least not yet. He wanted to see how the situation between Cain and Zerona would play out. If things looked like they were going to get out of hand; he would step in before either of them were kicked out. They were both intelligent and would make the department proud; it would be a shame to lose them both for something so trivial.

~*~

After lunch, the cadets attended their first class; '_Introduction to the Criminal Justice System_'. On the board, was a flow chart showing the sequence of events involving the criminal justice system. Lieutenant Richard Denton called the class to order then asked the cadets to sit down.

"Gentlemen, open your books to page four and please take notes. We're going to study how the system operates. First, a bit of history on how the system came about; the Queen deemed it necessary to have a system where citizens were protected and laws were established to do just that. Within Her Majesty's Army, a group of men were sent to Central City to patrol and carry out the observance of the Queen's law. This special group wore a special badge - similar to the one we have now – made of tin. It wasn't long before the citizens here started to call them 'Tin Men'. Out of that came this Academy; its purpose is to train men like you, to be policemen. The founder, Captain Nick Chopper, was the one chosen by the Queen to form this group and is credited with being the first 'Tin Man'. After being the commander of the first group of 'Tin Men'; he came up with the idea of a police force. He presented it to the Queen and here we are. On a side note, no one really knows where he got the term '_policeman_' from. We'll cover more about the history later in the course."

After hearing the brief history, Wyatt had a sense of pride of the career he had chosen. The police force was an offshoot of the Queen's army and he was about to follow the footsteps of some amazing men; like Nick Chopper. He hoped that he would make those who preceded him proud and be a part of the Tin Man legacy.

Lieutenant Denton went on to discuss the first aspects of the justice system; starting with the fact that the cadets before him would be the first contact the criminal would have. The next step would be the courts and then sentencing. Since Central City didn't actually have a prison, they used a rehabilitation technique to re-educate criminals – the state removed their brains. That was their prison. They were commonly referred to as a '_Headcase_' or '_Zipperhead_'.

~*~

At the end of the class, they were given their assignments to complete that night and then turn in the next day. The class was dismissed and they proceeded to the cafeteria for dinner.

That evening - after completing his assignment - Wyatt polished his boots and dress shoes. Ryan had fallen asleep and snored deeply. Wyatt's lip curled up on one side in reaction to the noise that filled the room. Jimmy had not snored that loudly the previous night. A low, deep throated growl rumbled through Wyatt at the prospect of having a hard time sleeping. He was tired – the day had been long and grueling – and it was his luck to end up with a snorer.

Completed with his tasks, he slipped under the covers. He shot Jimmy a harsh look and settled onto his right side. He should be used to this; Garrett snored, but not like this. He let out a sigh at the thought of his brother. He'd never been away from home for so long. His family was close - they depended on each other – now he was away from them and about to go into a career that would keep him in Central City. The thoughts of his family dragged him into a deep sleep that not even Jimmy's snores could pull him out of.


End file.
